Five arrested with heroin, pharmaceutical drugs

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 5: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday made public three incidents wherein five individuals were arrested with a variety of drugs from different parts of Kathmandu.

According to a statement by the NCB, they arrested three individuals of a heroin smuggling and distribution racket on Sunday. 

Police arrested Manoj Thapa Magar, 35, and Ram Kumar Shrestha, 33, from the roadside at Gaurighat in Ward No. 7 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on January 29. 

They confiscated two grams (gm) of heroin from Magar and Rs. 167,500 in cash from Shrestha.

When a team raided Shrestha’s room in Ward No. 8 of Kageshwori Manohara Municipality, they seized 25gm heroin and a digital weighing machine.

"Further investigation showed that the duo was provided with heroin by Sikendra Safi, 35, a resident of Golbazar Municipality of Siraha district," the statement read.

Safi was arrested on the same day as he landed in Kathmandu from Janakpur via a flight of Buddha Air. He was arrested from the parking area in the domestic terminal of the Tribhuvan International Airport.

According to the NCB, they seized 50gm heroin from Safi in the parking area.

On Monday, January 30, the NCB arrested another heroin smuggler from Koteshwor area in Ward No. 32 of Kathmandu Metropolis. 

"Bimal Chauhan, 32, was arrested with 10.5gm heroin and a digital weighing machine," informed the NCB.

The common factor between Magar, Shrestha and Chauhan was that they are permanent residents of Kamalamai Municipality in Sindhuli district.

On Tuesday, the NCB arrested an individual with pharmaceutical drugs while inspecting a parked Sumo jeep at Teku area in Ward No. 14 of Kathmandu Metropolis.

Police had searched the vehicle which was registered under "Na 1 Ja 5524" and confiscated 6,600 ampules of different pharmaceutical drugs.

The jeep, which provided public transport along the Birgunj-Kathmandu route, was driven by Kailash BK, 39, of Harion, Sarlahi.

Police informed that BK had hidden 2,200 ampules each of buprenorphine, diazepam and phenergan respectively inside a bag in the vehicle. 

"At the market rate of Rs. 300 per ampule, the confiscated pharmaceutical drugs are worth Rs. 1.98 million. Similarly, 87.5gm heroin, which costs Rs. 12,000 per gram, amounts to Rs. 1.05 million in total," the NCB informed.

Meanwhile, the NCB, in coordination with Makwanpur District Police, has also destroyed cannabis cultivated in 133 bighas of land and opium cultivated in 208 bighas of land in Kailash Rural Municipality of Makwanpur in the past three months.